Stubborn Days and Big Miracles - Part 2

Big Miracles

Despite my lamentations and depressing thoughts that I blogged about in the last entry I also know that some days here just leave me full of joy and wonder. I recently went on a hospital trip with 4 different people and at the end of the day sat back and thought about how special it is that on these journeys I get to experience the wonderful gift of giving hope and life to those we are serving here. Part of GSF's ministry is to serve those in the local community and part of this is through medical assistance. I have been blessed to have been seeing this on the front line in working for GSF as they minister to these special people with the donations they have been given.

Here is a little information about 3 of these 4 people we had taken to hospital recently;

The first guy is around 40 years old. He lives in the village and has 4 children under 12 years old. He is known to GSF through their Mercy Ministry programme and GSF have been trying to assist him in his recent difficulties. About a year ago this man had what we presume is a stroke and became paralysed down the left side of his body. At this time his wife left him - He had never 'officially' married her so when he became sick her father came and took her back to her home village. In Uganda if an official marriage hasn't taken place where a dowry has been paid for the bride then she does not belong to the husband but still belongs to her parents. When her parents heard he had become sick they came to take her away leaving this man and his 4 children to fend for themselves (in Uganda the children are cared for and belong to the paternal side which is why the children do not always remain with the mother). This man struggled for months to support his children until last month when a neighbour approached GSF as they felt that he was not coping anymore. When our Social Worker arrived to assess his situation she found a bottle of Sulphur in the house which he explained that he had just purchased that week as he wanted to poison himself and his children. He could no-longer see how he could continue to survive each day and thought that they would all be better off if he poisoned them and they were all dead. Our Social Worker discarded the poison and registered him into the programme offering assistance with food supplies, clothing and money to pay the rent. Another way that she offered to help was by funding through the Mercy Ministry programme to get him some medical assistance. That's where I got to meet this gentle, kind spirited, humble and amazing man. We arranged to take him to a good rehabilitation hospital in Kampala and got him in to see the physiotherapist there. After an hour or two of assessments and exercise programmes the man appeared to be developing a new lease on life. He had changed from a bent over, shy, broken man to someone with hope, determination, joy and a future. He got a new crutch to assist him with walking and the physiotherapist gave him lots of exercises to try and help regain some of the muscle tone in his arm and leg. On our drive home I sat next to him and sat smiling and watching this man who spent the whole two hour drive home doing his exercises and watching out of the window asking questions about the capital, Kampala which he had never been to before. He also spent the journey looking up to thank us for all we had done. I always feel embarrassed in these situations as really I have done nothing. I have just been privileged to have escorted these people to the hospital where I have represented GSF and been able to use donations to bless others in God's work. 

The second patient that we escorted to that same hospital was a mother with her 3 week old baby. She was also known to GSF via the Mercy Ministry programme. She lives in the local village and when her baby was born with a cleft lip and palate she came here to look for help. GSF have an amazing ministry both within the orphanage and in this area where they are able to help so many. We took the baby with us and booked them into the hospital where they provide free medical care for cleft palate operations. This baby will have an operation to repair the lip and palate and all the medical bills, hospital stay and food will be paid for by this charity at the hospital. It was amazing to be sitting on the journey to Kampala with this lady and watching her expressions. Despite it being a journey that I do each week, to have walked through it with both the paralysed man and this lady who have never even been to Kampala before or even a good, large hospital was wonderful. It made me realise actually what a big deal this journey was for them. I am so used to escorting our children to the city for medical appointments it made me see that it is actually something that people in the villages don't ever experience like these two adults have never. It was amazing to be watching the world through their eyes.

Our third man was a 26 year old guy that works for us here at GSF. He was involved in an accident 9 years ago in a cement factory. His friend was reversing the cement truck and ran over him which amputated both of his legs at the knees. Since then this guy has moved around in his wheelchair and has done an amazing job of moving around the village and back and forth to work at GSF where the terrain is not often kind to those who have mobilisation difficulties. A sponsor from America had offered some money for him to have prosthetic limbs so we took him along to see if this was a possibility. We had a consultation with the head trauma surgeon and then met with the Physiotherapist and started to discuss about the limbs that he could have. The great news was that it is very possible that he may walk again after some intense rehabilitation and training on how to use the prosthetics. This guy was amazed and was already making plans on how he will walk up to the front of the church when he has his new legs to show his church how faithful God is. He says that those in the village have told him that he would need a miracle to walk again and now God is showing them that he does perform miracles! He was very excited about the prospect of walking and on the journey was showing us his favourite Psalms and discussing with his friend (our driver) how he will go on the local radio to tell everyone the Good News of Jesus.

It is on trips like this that I can't fail to see the Greatness of God in the daily situations I am involved in while serving here in this ministry. The great works that He does and the faithfulness he shows in the stories of people around us.

Psalm 145 v 1- 13

"I will exalt you, my God the King: I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no-one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations".